Singapore ranks fifth in travel freedom: Index

SINGAPORE — The Republic has been ranked fifth in travel freedom and those holding a Singapore passport can travel to 170 countries without needing a visa, according to a global index.

The Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index, produced in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), ranks countries according to the number of other countries that their citizens can travel to, without having to obtain a visa.

The countries ranked first this year are Finland, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, all of which can access 174 countries without a visa. Canada and Denmark are ranked second, with 173 countries accessible without a visa. In the fifth ranking with Singapore are New Zealand and Switzerland.

Last year, Singapore was ranked sixth, with visa-free access to 167 countries.

In the 2014 index, Malaysia ranked eighth with visa-free access to 166 countries, while Hong Kong ranked 15th with visa-free access to 156 countries. Japan is in the third spot, alongside eight other countries including Korea and Belgium.

Afghanistan ranked 94th — the last ranking — with 28 countries allowing access without a visa.

There are a total of 219 destination countries/territories, and the maximum score in most cases is 218, excluding travel to one’s own country. For nationals who must hold a visa to re-enter their home country, and for nationals of countries not considered a destination, the maximum score is 219. Countries not considered a destination do not enforce their own visa regulations.

The list was created with visa regulations effective on May 20.

Source: Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index 2014